Module ARA2134 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
ARA2134: Ethnography of the Middle East
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim will not merely be to obtain information about the region, but students will be exposed to different methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks, stressing the disciplinary contributions of anthropology. Within the general context of macro processes of social change, i.e. modernization and globalization, the course will pay special attention to micro level analyses addressing specific settings, social conditions, activities and life experiences. Despite the focus on cultural particularities and diversity within the Middle East, the course is also intended to draw out broader issues, which would allow a comparative analysis with other regions in the world. It provides a basis for anyone interested in research involving fieldwork which might include interviews or participant observation.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
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Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate specific knowledge about a variety of peoples and cultures of the Middle East, in greater detail than the very general Level 4; 2. Challenge homogenizing and essentialist accounts of the region and its people, especially those of earlier Orientalists; 3. Show understanding of the relationship between representations of the Middle East and preconceptions, by applying detailed knowledge and basic ethnographic theory; 4. Identify different basic techniques in ethnographic fieldwork, such as participant observation, surveys, questionnaires, oral and life histories, and evaluate some of their uses in the Middle Eastern context; |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. Analyse and critically assess academic texts dealing with the Middle East; 6. Articulate and develop a coherent argument embedded in relevant theory, applied to examples from the Middle East; 7. Distinguish between some basic methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks used in the study of the Middle East; |
Personal and Key Skills | 8. Demonstrate a capacity for independent study and work planning; and 9. Show an ability to make an analytical and thoughtful contribution to group discussion. |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|
Reaction papers (x4) | 500 words | 4-7 | Written |
Seminar discussions | 1 hour per week | 9 | Oral |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
---|---|---|
100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|---|
Essay | 50 | 2,500 words | 1-6, 7-8 | Written comments and mark |
5 x Reaction papers | 30 | 500 words each | 4-7 | Written comments and mark |
Ethnographic Book or Article review | 20 | 1,000 words | 3-5, 7 | Written comments and mark |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
---|---|---|---|
Essay | Essay (2,500 words) | 1-6, 7-8 | 1 month (date to be agreed) |
5 x Reaction papers | Up to 5 reaction papers (500 words each and the number depending on how many were initially submitted) on relevant articles chosen by the module tutor | 4-7 | 1 month (date to be agreed) |
Ethnographic Book or Article review | Ethnographic Book or Article Review (1,000 words) | 3-5, 7 | 1 month (date to be agreed) |